RG III Confident In His Right Knee

Quarterback Robert Griffin III is confident in his right knee, which had to be surgically repaired after the ACL and LCL ligaments were torn in the Redskins' 24-14 loss in the Wild Card round to the Seattle Seahawks in January. In addition, he does not anticipate showing any signs of rust despite not taking a single snap of live action during the preseason.

"In my mind, my mindset is that I'll come right back immediately because you have to prepare as if you were never gone," Griffin III said on a conference call with Philadelphia reporters Wednesday. "Gameday is just another game and you go out there and you play and you have fun. You trust your preparation throughout the week. This didn't start this week preparing for this game. It started eight, nine months ago and I think everybody knows that."

The No. 2 overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft oversaw the league's most dangerous rushing attack last year. The Redskins gained an average of 169.3 rushing yards per game thanks Griffin III's mobility which forced opposing defenses to account for the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. Griffin III accounted for 815 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, but he was just as vicious in the pass game. Griffin III completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 3,200 yards with 20 touchdowns against only five interceptions for a 102.4 passer rating.

This is not the first time Griffin III has torn the ACL in his right knee. He did it back in 2009 while at Baylor. Even though he has suffered this injury now twice, Griffin III does not plan on changing how he plays the game.

"I think it adds another dimension to your offense," Griffin III said of his mobility. "It's always been a part of my game. It's not going to go away."

Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan explained how he would not have declared Griffin III the starter for the season opener if he did not think the quarterback was ready. Shanahan was also backed up by team physician Dr. James Andrews. It was Andrews who performed the surgery to repair the knee and medically clear Griffin III to return.

"The key is you have to feel good about your quarterback and where he's at and what he can do. I'm very, very proud of Robert and what he's accomplished," Shanahan said on a conference call with Philadelphia reporters. "We're just looking forward to the second year and hopefully we can get started on the right note."

The Redskins won their final seven regular season games and the NFC East in 2012 behind Griffin III. The Pro Bowl quarterback described the team entering this season as a confident one. Whether that bravado carries over into the regular season will hinge largely on Griffin III's reconstructed knee.

"We know if we go out and we execute that we can play with anybody and not just play with them we can go out and win the game," the quarterback said. "I think the team just has a better resolve, a better mindset because we've been through the heat together and a lot of the same guys are back."